The Guitarist Amplification Alteration
by Zephon75
Summary: This is a what if version of the episode where Sheldon never asked Leonard and Penny to play research lab with him, so Penny never told Leonard about her friend coming to stay


**A/N:I decided to write this because Penny's attitude in the episode always bothered me she was right it is her apartment and she can invite anyone she wants to stay. However not telling Leonard that someone was staying and that they are also a ex was pretty crappy and then getting mad at Leonard for being upset about it and accusing him a calling het stupid. Then when he next saw her she expected him to apologise for being upset was unbelievable but worst was when she told Sheldon why should she apologise she'd done nothing wrong, tat made her come across as ignorant**

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Leonard woke up early Monday morning feeling quite rested, due to having a very quiet weekend apart from paintball Saturday morning with the guys he hadn't really done anything in particular Leonard hadn't spent anytime with Penny since Friday .They had a amazing evening they had gone out to watch a movie then went and had a lovely meal at a Italian restaurant before coming back home and spending the night if he was being honest with himself was his favourite part of the evening Penny had been so affectionate when they'd got home he couldn't help but feel like it was a it wasn't and Penny was his girlfriend and it was the best feeling in the world waking up next her in the morning, only being beaten by seeing those beautiful green eyes looking at him when she woke up.

All this thinking about Penny made Leonard desperate to see her so with that motivation he finished getting ready and made his way across the hall to see her before going to work.

He knew Penny didn't like being woken up early well atleast not by Sheldon anyway she'd threaten to punch him in the throat if he ever knocked on her door before eleven. But she had never had a problem with him waking her up even before they dated she would grumble but she never once threaten to hit him if he knocked on to early,so with that thought he knocked on. But Leonard was surprised when the door opened quickly but not as surprised as he was with what greeted him,it's wasn't Penny but a guy,a guy who was dressed only in tshirt and boxers.

Leonard just stared at the guy answering Penny's door feeling his heart breaking,her finally managed to say something."Is Penny around?"

The guy just looked at Leonard"Sorry she's still in bed she's still wore out after last night"

Leonard's mind instantly went to a bad place after hearing that and just wanted to run away"Oh okay bye"

"Wait do you want me to give her a message?"the guy asked

"No it's okay"Leonard said sadly before making his way back across the hall to get his stuff and Sheldon before heading to work,but he couldn't get his mind off the guy who he'd just seen. What was going on had Penny cheated on him and if so what did it mean for there relationship,could he stay with her if she had cheated on him but more importantly why would she cheat.

The guy just shrugged his shoulders before closing the door and going back to Penny's couch and trying to sleep.

* * *

Leonard went to work on autopilot lost in his thought he couldn't hear Sheldon complaining about his lack of participation in the car games, when he got there he headed straight to his lab. When he Finally go there he went in and closed the door sitting down at his desk finally letting tears fall wondering if his relationship with Penny was over.

* * *

It was after midday before Penny finally surfaced walking out of her bedroom still looking tired,spotting Justin was up"Hey how long have you been up?"

"I got up quite early don't like staying in bed unless I have to"

Penny looked at him as if he had two head'why would someone get up early if the had nowhere to go that's just weird'she thought,making her way over to the kitchen to get some then taking a sip instantly perking her up she finally replied to what Justin said"I can't believe you get up if you've got nowhere to go,i'd much rather stay in bed"

Justin looked at her a smile forming on his lips,she hadn't changed always was a lover of sleep,he smiled to himself he had to admit he did enjoy staying in bed when it was with her.

He noticed Penny staring at him"Oh just remembering that you've always liked sleeping in and when we were together I liked it too"

Penny gave him a forced smile,she didn't want to be reminded of her past with him and guys like him,they weren't good memories meeting a guy sleeping with him dating for few days maybe if they where lucky weeks before moving on to the next. She was actually ashamed of how she behaved back then,she only stopped when she met Kurt,he was older than her and all the other guys and taller with big muscles .He already had his own place and when he asked her to move in with him she jumped at the chance. even though she was only seventeen and her parents where not happy with her decision .But when she graduated highschool and told them she was moving to LA to be a actress and Kurt was going with her,they weren't happy and tried to stop her but she went anyway saying he wasn't right for took over three years living together in LA for her to finally realise her parents where right all along,when she had come home to fund him with another woman she packed up and left that very day.

Now she was smiling for real because it was breaking up with Kurt that had brought her to this small apartment and on her very first day whilst unpacking she had met her new neighbours .With one of the guys she met almost instantly becoming her friend, and now he was probably her best friend,her smile grew even more and now he was her boyfriend.

She was brought out of her reverie by Justin speaking"Sorry what did you say?"

Justin just shook his head"I said some guy knocked on just after I got up looking for you"

Penny scrunched up her face"Really,did he say what he wanted?",not knowing who would be looking for her.

"No just said 'Is Penny around',he did look surprised to see me though maybe a little upset too"

Penny realised it must of been Leonard,but why would he be surprised at seeing Justin and apparently upset too,he knew about Justin staying here,i told..she let out a I didn't tell I was going to but somehow forgot,oh no he's going to get the wrong idea,it was then she noticed Justin was still in his tshirt and boxers which he must have answered the door to Leonard like it was Leonard then seeing Justin and the way he is dressed he will definitely get the wrong idea probably thinking i was cheating on him with the guy he saw,no wonder he looked upset.

Tears where forming in Penny's eyes now,But there was a small hope in her that it wasn't Leonard"Justin what did he look like?"

"Erm lets me think short dark her and glasses why?"

Her tears started to fall it was Leonard and this was her own fault she'd put off telling Leonard about her friend staying because she didn't know how he'd react especially when he found out it was a guy who so happened to be a ex .She had put if so long it had somehow slipped her mind that she never actually told him about Justin staying now she going to have to deal with the consequences of her mistake and she didn't know if Leonard would understand.

Justin just looked at Penny she had started crying after he'd described the man who had knocked on the door this morning,he wondered why it upset her.

"Penny what's wrong why are you crying?"

"Because that guy was my boyfriend Leonard and i just realised i didn't tell him you where coming,so he probably got the wrong idea when he saw you"

Justin was abit surprised that she was dating that guy he was nothing like the kind of guys she used to date back in Nebraska"Really he's your boyfriend?"

Penny narrowed her eyes at him"What's that supposed to mean?

"Well it's just i don't know he's short and he looks sort of like a geek"

Penny wasn't crying anymore she was angry at the fact Justin thought she wouldn't date someone like Leonard,but when she thought about it when he knew her back then she wouldn't have gone out with someone like Leonard .With that thought her anger now turned into sadness at her realisiation that had she known Leonard back in Nebraska she wouldn't of given him a chance,more than likely she would probably of picked on him. With this thought her tears returned, as she imagined how she would of treated Leonard and the rest of them aswell for that matter,she wasn't very nice to the kids like them.

She made her way back to her bedroom to get her phone she needed to not only apologise to Leonard but to tell him why she hadn't told him about Justin and It wasn't what it looked like when he came over this morning. She picked up her phone and hit 1 on her contacts, his phone started ringing but her heart sank when it went to voicemail she wasn't going to explain it to him using that .She decided she was going to go and see him at the university and tell him face to face that he had nothing to worry about and that she was sorry hoping he would forgive her. With that she got up and went to take a shower before getting dressed and making her way over to Caltech to see Leonard.

* * *

When she arrived at Caltech she parked her car up in the faculty parking, taking a deep breath before she got out of her car making her way over to physics when she got there she realised she had no idea where his lab was, she thought had she taken him up on all his offers to show her around she might of known where to go. But she didn't and Dave had never shown her Leonards lab on his tour of the facilty, she remembered how Leonard had looked when he had seen her in the cafeteria with Dave how she happily told him how amazing the place was. Then Leonard had reminded her of all his offers to take her and show her around and when she denied it he had been sarcastic with her for the first time ever, shaking herself out of her thoughts she went up to the receptionist and asked where to find Leonard.

She got lost but fortunately ended up finding the cafeteria looking at the time she decided to wait there for the guys to turn up. Then ask Leonard if they could go and talk in private. It was a little over half a hour later that the guys came in but Penny was disappointed when Leonard wasn't with them, she waved them over hoping they knew where Leonard was when got to her it was Sheldon who spoke.

"Penny what are you doing here this place isn't for the simpleminded"

Penny brushed off Sheldon's insult" Nice to see you too Sheldon do you know when Leonard will turn up?

"I don't know when Leonard will get here I have no time for the frivolities of lesser minds, and after this morning journey here where he failed to take part in any of my entertaining car games I don't care"

Penny turned to Howard" Have you seen Leonard?"

Howard shook his head" I'm sorry Penny I haven't seen him" Penny looked over to Raj and he shook his head no.

Penny was worried why none them had seen them but she needed to find him" Can one of you guys take me to where he might be?" she asked almost pleadingly.

Raj nodded and beckoned her to follow, a couple of minutes later she was standing outside Leonard's lab, she turned and gave Raj a hug" Thanks Raj" he just smiled and left her.

Penny took a couple of seconds before knocking then opening the door to see Leonard still where he sat when he got there that morning his eyes red from all the crying and devastated look on his face. Seeing him like this was too much for Penny and she began to cry also moving over to and gingerly hugging him, when he didn't stop her she held him a little tighter while waiting for her tears to stop.

Leonard didn't know what to do, he didn't expect to see her he didn't even know how she found him, but what confused him most was when she saw him she started crying. Was it guilt over cheating on him and she was going to beg for forgiveness, he didn't know all he did know was that no she was hugging tightly as though if she let him go she'd lose him.

After a few minutes Penny's crying stopped and she was calm enough to talk with a shaky voice" Leonard it's not what it looked like he's just a friend I was meant to tell you he was staying but I didn't know how then it just slipped my mind, nothing happened between us he slept on the couch"

Leonard assumed with her telling him this the guy must of told her he had knocked and she then realised it was Leonard, but whilst a wait had been lifted off him he had questions.

"Penny I believe you but why didn't you know how to tell me? how long have you known he was coming?"

Penny was happy he believed her, but wasn't sure he'd like the answer" I thought you wouldn't like the fact that a friend of mine was staying with me especially if you knew it was a guy, I've known for about a week" she felt Leonard tense up.

Leonard didn't like what she had just said" Penny I wouldn't of minded if you had just told me but you had a whole week to tell me about him coming why was it so difficult for you to tell me? how do you know him?"

Penny thought for a moment he didn't really need to know anything about him except he was a friend but she decided to be honest with him" Because I thought you wouldn't like the fact that I was letting a ex boyfriend stay with me"

On hearing this Leonard pushed Penny off him she looked a little shocked but right now didn't care" He's a ex boyfriend? don't you think you should of discussed this with me before agreeing he could stay" Leonard said loudly.

Penny was shocked when Leonard pushed her off him but was now taken aback by his tone didn't he trust her, Penny was getting angry" Why should I ask your permission for a friend to stay with it's my apartment i'll invite anyone I want and it's not of your business" she said angrily.

Leonard was surprised she replied angrily why was she angry he was allowed to be upset that she invited a ex without warning him, he didn't want to get in to a argument with so replied softly" Penny you can invite anyone you want to stay at your apartment, but you have to understand that finding out a guy is staying with you who also is a ex is upsetting for me ".looking at her sadly

Penny saw the hurt in his eyes and she knew she was the cause, he was right of course thinking about had he invited a ex to stay with him no matter how innocent she would of been furious. Leonard you're right i'm sorry it was wrong of me but I honestly didn't think it was a issue as I have no interest in him, you trust me don't you?" looking him straight in the eye.

Leonard just looked back at her and nodded" I trust you Penny, but I don't like the idea of him staying with you, how long will he be here?"

Penny leaned forward and gave Leonard a quick kiss" Thankyou for trusting me, I understand you don't like him staying with me but I promised him he could, he has nowhere to go, he'll only be here a few days".

Leonard didn't want her to break a promise but he also didn't want this guy staying with her even if it was for only a few days, then Leonard had a idea" Penny how about he stay in my apartment instead the couch is bigger I saw how tall he was your couch must of been uncomfortable"

Penny eyed Leonard suspiciously, she knew the real reason was he wanted him out of her apartment but he was right there couch was bigger" That's a great idea but are you sure that's the real reason or is it because you want him out of my apartment?" she asked accusingly

Leonard didn't even try to lie" Yes it's the real reason just with the added benefit of him not sleeping in your apartment" Leonard saw the look Penny gave and cut her off before she could say anything." I trust you it's just this will make me feel less uncomfortable"

Penny nodded but realised a hitch in the plan" What about Sheldon? I don't think he'll be to happy having in sleep in his spot"

Leonard gave her a mischievous grin" Well we could bribe him with a trip to the comic book store and get him one of the toy robots he has his eye on" his grin getting bigger" Or we could threaten to have really loud sex whilst he tries to watch tv"

Penny grinned at this" That's quite devious of you Dr Hofstadter, I like it" taking a quick look around his lab Penny turned back to him" Have you ever done it before in here?"

Leonard looked down shaking his head, Penny smiled and went over to the door and locked it ,turning back to Leonard smiling at him before saying

"Take off your clothes"

 **THE END**

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 **A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this I hope you enjoyed it, please review**


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